Born to Raise Hell
by VictimofYourOwnCreation
Summary: Skateboarding to them meant finding the edge, adrenaline highs, opening yourself up to new possibilities, and no rules whatsoever to hold them back. Skateboarding to them meant feeling alive. "Yes, we are in fact, possessed. Possessed to skate." AU
1. Act I: Prelude to Tragedy

Born to Raise Hell

_Act I: Prelude to Tragedy_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

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><p>There was just something about skateboarding that made life on this god-forsaken, pitiful excuse for a planet an ever-so-tiny tad less horrible. What exactly that something was, mankind will never know, though. But he had a pretty accurate assumption that it was the combination of the wind in your hair, the hyperactive music, the adrenaline highs that came with nailing tricks, lines and combos, the feeling of freedom and superiority and, of course, the respect one gained upon displaying a growth in skill and style. Being recognized by the locals was one thing, but attaining national or even international fame like Sasuke's brother was on a whole different scale. Still, that was his goal, and he was well on his way to achieving it.<p>

Seventeen-year old Kiba Inuzuka liked the way his life was.

He caught himself smirking when he noticed he was being watched by the cheerleading squad from his school, and gave in to the sudden urge to impress them. He made speed, shifted into nollie stance and pumped his Blind deck high in the air, flicking it with control that rivaled perfection. Although on the outside it looked stylishly sloppy, which described his style perfectly down to the last letter.

A second that felt like ages later, he landed all four of his Spitfire wheels (his favorite brand, because of the cool logo and sturdy feel) on the concrete, nailing as Naruto would describe it "an Inuzuka-stylish nollieflip 180" from the staircase. The staircase a lot of skaters had trouble landing, as a matter of fact.

But of course, he didn't.

Duh. He was Kiba Inuzuka. _The_ Kiba Inuzuka, the local hero for many skateboarders. The messiah of extreme sports. The savior -

Someone threw a water bottle at him, and he had a pretty accurate assumption who it was. He ruffled his hair and shook his head like a dog shaking off water before setting a next-to-impossible flip over a gap.

As noted, he was seventeen years old, tall, lean-built, slightly pale, had brown hair and eyes, a cocky smirk and a sharp wit. He zipped open his blood-red-and-black striped hoody to cool down in the comfortable spring sun. He wiped his head with his sleeve, and grabbed a bottle of water to smoothen up the dry cave that went by as his throat. He was slapped on the back by some random skater he was supposed to know, before someone he actually did know started his trademark yelling.

"Hey, Inuzuka. Betcha can't land a tre flip off that same sucker."

Kiba snapped out of his moment of glory and skidded to a halt just in time to see a rollerblader speed past him headed for the pool. Suigetsu Hozuki, one of his skating buddies and the aforementioned bottle thrower, suddenly smirked as his eyes started to glint deviously.

When you thought about it, Suigetsu could probably be considered one of Kiba's closer friends. The aloof white-haired, purple-eyed seventeen-year old with razor teeth didn't do much else than hang around at the skate park, get drunk, and play drums in his rock band. They were pretty much even in terms of skill and style, hence their friendship and ageless rivalry.

Said bloke was up to something, Kiba noticed.

"Watch," was all the white-haired boy said as he kicked his deck in front of the rollerblader, intentionally tripping the guy. The blader landed face flat on the concrete, earning a mocking wave of laughter from everyone close enough to witness his faceplant. "No more than four wheels on this grid, buddy," Suigetsu sneered while the blader turned redder and redder with embarrassment. Kiba snickered and shot a quick glance at the cheerleading squad and one girl in particular, before picking up his deck again.

Collecting his courage and allowing insanity to take over, he smirked again. "Tre flip you said, Hozuki?" He ran back up the stairs and turned around, a devious glint in his eyes. "Better get your cameras ready folks, because history is gonna be rewritten here."

"He's not actually gonna try it, is he?" Shikamaru Nara asked in his trademark monotone voice as he sat down next to Suigetsu, who in turn shrugged.

"If there's one person on this planet crazy enough to give tre-flipping that stair a shot, it's Kiba."

"There's always Naruto."

Suigetu took a thoughtful sip from his water bottle. "...True. But knowing Naruto, he might actually land it as well, lucky ass that he is."

"Aah."

Eighteen-year old Shikamaru was the archetype of a slacker. Even in his sleep he was lazy, thus how he had still managed to get in their grade was a mystery never to be solved. Something people around him attributed to his outstanding intellect. Lazy or not, he really was a genius in his own right, both on and off the board. He saw opportunities others overlooked, did things most people wouln't even consider trying. Plus, he had a technique that was far more than simple practice. That probably was why they were friends, too; rivalries provide the strongest friendships. Look at Naruto and Sasuke for the prime example for that one.

...Also, the fact that the Nara always carried his semi-professional filming gear in the backpack he took everywhere gave him some credit, as well.

Meanwhile, Kiba was about to follow through on his plan of rewriting history. He took a running start, dropped the wheels on the floor and did a few test runs. He popped a simple ollie off to get the feel right, climbed back up a third time and smirked his trademark cocky smirk. The adrenaline literally throbbed in his throat and he felt the sudden urge to punch people and headbang. That was usually a good sign.

_'Well, Death or Glory.'_

He tossed his hoody into a corner and took off, making sure he was going a little bit faster than required to land this son-of-a-bitch, and popped up while flicking his deck for a tre flip. He was going good, he was landing this bastard. He watched his board rotate under his feet in slow-motion, a known side effect of the kick of adrenaline he knew and loved. And that was when he found out it was going a bit too high.

The right heel of his Vans No Skools scraped the surface of the board, bringing it out of balance.

He instinctively kicked his deck away from him and braced for impact, seeing as how he wasn't exactly in a good position to make a landing he'd walk away from without a scratch. The girls yelped. Suigetsu laughed. Shikamaru facepalmed.

And Kiba got his ass handed to him by 'Gunslinger', as the staircase was dubbed, once again.

'Gunslinger' was originally the nickname of an urban legend. A skateboarder like them, just one that was as mysterious as he was legendary around these parts. No one knew his real name, age, or potential. All they knew was that he was insanely skilled. Not by what he has displayed, as rarely anyone has seen him roll in real life. Everyone had seen the videos on YouTube, though, of this skater dressed up as a ninja and landing the most insane, mind-busting tricks on every spot in the local scene that mattered. He was respected and sometimes even worshipped for the sheer fact that he had dominated and (re)named every skate spot that was of any importance to the local scene. He was the first one to land this staircase, for example, and as skateboarding law states, landing it first is naming it. He was the first one to land 'Afterlife' as well, and took 'Heaven and Hell' from the Hawkwind skate crew, renaming it 'Crossroads'.

He was, as stated, a legend, plain and simple. There really was no other word that fit him better.

Kiba had scrambled up from the floor and glared at Suigetsu, who was still laughing at his friend. He flipped the drummer off and examined his injuries. His knee and elbow hurt, as well as both of his ankles. He stomped on the hard ground a few times, and judged his ankles okay. His knee was probably gonna be just fine as well, and his elbow was probably gonna get swollen. Nothing he couldn't handle. He checked his black skinnies and white 'Punks Not Dead' shirt for any holes, looked for his deck, picked it up and turned back to the staircase.

"Let it rest, dude," Shikamaru said when he noticed Kiba staring intensely at Gunslinger again. "Let's go to 'Victim', land a couple grind lines with Naruto and Sasuke. Maybe get a little footage shot."

"...You're probably right." He sighed and turned to Suigetsu, keeping up the tough guy act for the ladies. "Hozuki, get my hat and let's get rolling. 'Victim' needs some killing."

"Aye aye, sir," said Suigetsu, mockingly saluting and tossing Kiba's mafia hat in his fellow skater's direction. "Whatever you need that for."

"It's called style, dumbass," Kiba retorted with a sportive smirk, running back up 'Gunslinger' to get his vest. "Doubt you've ever heard of it." He caught his hat in mid-air and put it on, crooking it an inch for the heck of it, and followed his friends to meet up with the rest.

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><p>[Author's Note]<p>

**Important message:** this story will not be updated regularly. It's mainly here just to kill time and give the brain a rest from my main story. Still, I'd like to know if people are interested and maybe I'll reconsider.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	2. Act II: Running Free

Born to Raise Hell

_Act II: Running Free_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

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><p>'Victim' really was a hell of a spot. It had basically everything: rails, ledges, gaps, stairs, flats, the entire package. Whenever you got there, a few skaters would be present, trying to set down as sick a line as the legendary Gunslinger's. So far, no one had succeeded. The ninja skater was still the king of the skaters in town, even though there were several locals that had made it pro already. There was no rhyme or reason as to what exactly he did; he just did his thing and it rocked.<p>

Of course, not succeeding didn't mean they couldn't still try, seventeen-year old Naruto Uzumaki thought.

The blonde powerhouse with deep cerulean eyes and whisker birthmarks on his cheeks watched his Anti-Hero deck spin a 360 shuvit under his feet, before being stopped in its tracks by his own Fallen Harmony shoes. He landed his trick in a nose manual on the flat ledge, riding it out all the way and nollieflipping off. At least, that was supposed to happen.

He never got that far, because he lost balance and bailed off the ledge. He cursed as he inspected his trashed light blue skinny jeans, finding yet another hole in it. He cursed.

"Dammit, don't I have enough holes in my pants already? Mom's gonna _kill _me!"

His friend snickered. "Then don't bail, dobe."

"Shut yer trap, teme," Naruto bit back as he picked up his black-and-blue checkered vest from the ledge his friend was sitting on, putting it over his orange tee. "Or do you think you can do it better?"

"No."

"Ha!"

"I _know_ I can do it better," the dark-haired boy said smirking. Naruto glared at him.

"Smart-ass."

"Naruto, Sasuke! 'Sup?" Kiba yelled at the blonde and Sasuke Uchiha, the seventeen-year old raven-haired and -eyed best friend of said blonde. Clad in black skinnies, black Vans Eras, a black Zero longsleeve and a black leather jacket, Sasuke was often mistaken a gothic rather than a skater. But he really did listen to hardcore punk and thrash metal, rahter than gothic screamo. He bumped Kiba's, Shikamaru's and Suigetsu's fists casually.

"Just in time, dudes. I was about to show the dobe how to properly land a 360shuv nose manual nollieflip out." He smirked at Naruto. "He just bailed it for the fifth time."

Shikamaru busted out his camera and its tripod from the backpack he carried with him at all times, setting it up at a good viewpoint. He then tossed his flipcam to Kiba and told him to 'do a low shot'. Kiba nodded understandingly.

"Are we done?" Sasuke asked annoyed. Shikamaru shook his head, fine-tuning the settings of the camera. Suigetsu had started to bust out some random grinds on the handbars with Naruto in the meantime, getting a small group of sixth-graders to cheer them on. Secretly, they enjoyed the attention. It was fun to have people watching and appreciating you, instead of bitching at you for doing what you love to do, Suigetsu thought. His parents could learn a lot from those sixth-graders.

When Shikamaru gave the 'OK' sign, the blonde shooed the kids away and slapped Sasuke on the shoulder. The Uchiha smirked, tossed his jacket aside and dropped his Zero deck on the concrete, taking off with Kiba on his tail, filming the entire process.

Sasuke popped, flicked, caught and landed in a nose manual, all in the time span of a second. His Spitfire wheels, the same as his Inuzuka friend preferred, almost looked like they were actually on fire. He swiftly found his balance and rode the entire ledge out, nollieflipping off. Kiba, Suigetsu, Naruto and Shikamaru applauded. Sasuke threw up the rock horns, and grinded out a handrail for the hell of it. His Thunder trucks screeched when they connected with the stainless steel, although overthrown by the sound the sixth-graders made. The kids loved to see him and his friends skate, as they were more or less renowned for both their skills on the board and their skills in attracting trouble.

"And that's how you do it. Paid attention, dobe?"

"Asshole."

"Hn." Sasuke skidded to a halt and turned around to pick up his jacket. Suigetsu shot past him, ollied up the flat and manual-pivoted it, earning a cheer from Naruto and Kiba. Shikamaru smirked approvingly. Suigetsu had some serious skill; it was too bad that he was often too busy flirting with the next chick or making a moron out of himself in another way, instead of putting those skills to good use.

The boys went shooting a couple of grind waves and a double-team by Suigetsu and Kiba for a few minutes, getting into the flow when they were rudely interrupted.

"Don't you kids have better things to do!" An elderly voice suddenly hollered. The guys looked up to see the old, gumpy man that lived in the appartment right by 'Victim'. "Go to school, ya punks!"

Naruto and Suigetsu flipped the old man off while Shikamaru packed up his stuff. "Let's get outta here. We got what we came for."

"Seriously though, what's this 'school' he mentioned?" Naruto joked. The rest snickered.

"That's the prison where they're supposed to be teaching us how to be mindless robots," Kiba replied. "The one we bailed out of?"

"Oh, right."

Naruto popped an ollie over a gap in the road, while Shikamaru was riding up a ledge and casually kickflipping over the bushes beind it. Sasuke, Kiba and Suigestu cruised down the hill, dodging the occasional cyclist or pedestrian. This was the freedom and the wind in the hairs that made skateboarding so awesome.

Unlike the bunch of gangstas that came into sight.

Their faces turned serious. Naruto hissed, but Shikamaru shook his head. Kiba sighed. Always the voice of reason.

The guys passed the group of baggy pants and oversized shirts in silence, but with death glares being exchanged even so.

"Hey, Inuzuka," Sasuke sneered. "Do you know that feeling, that when you see a certain breed of people, you suddenly realize this world is really fucked up?"

"Aye," Kiba said. "Usually when I see 'gangstas'. I tend to refer to them as brain-dead monkeys, most of the time."

"You got somethin', holmes?" One of the dudes with crooked hats asked while taking a step forward, venom in his voice.

Suigetsu snorted. "Hell yes we do. We got style, skill and dignity. Unlike you." Kiba, Sasuke and Shikamaru snickered, while Naruto laughed out loud. A cruel, merciless laugh of humiliation.

Pretending to be unfazed by it, another gangster stepped up. "Ey, G, if y'all want trouble, y'all can get it."

"Leave them, guys," Shikamaru said. "They're not worth our time."

The five guys stepped up and rode off, with the gangstas throwing threats and glares in their general direction. Suigetsu snickered at their futile attempts, to which the rest soon joined in. Ah, the hardships of being awesome.

The group headed to Shikamaru's place, where they edited the footage they got today. Kiba's 'Gunslinger' bail was too good to pass up, adding a blooper section to the end for the sake of keeping it in. The rest of the footage was worked into the actual demo they were putting together as Rebellion, their skate crew. With their local fame and this smashing demo, a sponsorship deal would be a no-brainer. At least that's what they dreamt of.

Drinking beer and watching movies the rest of the night, the guys headed home late and directly to bed. Tomorrow was gonna be a long day, with their intention to sit out the entire day at school. Or try to, at least.

...Why were they putting themselves through such torture, again?

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><p>[Author's Note]<p>

And here's the second part already. I'm pretty much stuck on this other story of mine, so it's going to take a miracle to get it done before tomorrow. Wish me luck and enjoy.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	3. Act III: Breaking the Law

Born to Raise Hell

_Act III: Breaking the Law_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

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><p>"...And thus, the Gulf War was fought because of..."<p>

History teacher Asuma Sarutobi rambled on about some war or another the Americans fought back in some day and age, and Kiba wasn't really paying attention. He was doodling on his notebook, drawing anarchy symbols and scribbling song lyrics. He wrote songs for fun, and thus was not nearly on Suigetsu's or certainly Gaara's (the singer of Suigetsu's band, emo punk kid with two loves in life being blood and music. Oh, and the occasional boarding too) level. But it was better than History.

Hell, it was better than any class.

He secretly eyed the cheerleading squad captain, Ino Yamanaka. He smirked. Not the kind of girl one would expect him to dig. The preppy, girly blonde was the archetype bimbo, with the short skirts, slutty tops, high heels, fake boobs and nails, and spending more time on her hair than her homework. But hey, she was hot as hell and everyone knew it.

Kiba shared a meaningful look with Suigetsu, who turned back to his desk to scribble a note. A minute later, the razor-toothed boy threw the rumpled note to his brown-haired friend.

_**U eyein' Yamanaka again? Thought u had taste ;)**_

_**Srsly, lets bail sci n bio 2 shoot some DL**_

_**Pass on 2 Dobe, Lazy n Prick**_

Kiba sighed at the first line and glared at the smirking Suigetsu. He tore the first line off the note and poked Sasuke in front of him. When the latter turned around annoyed, the former showed him the note. Sasuke's expression changed visibly. He nodded and went to inform Naruto. Kiba crumbled the note again and tossed it to Shikamaru once the teacher turned to the blackboard.

When he dropped back down in his chair, he felt a strong tap on his shoulder. He leaned back and looked straight into the prying eyes of Karin, the class president. Apparently, she had caught on to what the Rebellion crew was up to. Kiba flashed one of his bright innocent smirks, which he knew would catch her off guard.

'We'll give you a free copy of our demo', he mouthed to the sexy red-head. She sighed and crossed her arms, her half-amused, half-disapproving glare strengthened by her glasses.

Sometimes, having a skater girl as class president was a really, _really _good thing.

The bell rang, initializing a stampede of students who all rushed for the door. The teacher tried in vain to keep some measure of control over the mass of hungry teenagers wanting out to get as much break time as possible.

Suigetsu met up with Kiba, Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru outside the classroom, ignoring the hordes of students wanting to reach their lockers. Sasuke glared off a bunch of geeky guys, who hastily made off empty-handed. Naruto snickered. "Nice one, Teme."

"Hn," the raven-haired boy replied with a content smirk.

Karin walked up to the guys. "Hello, boys."

Sasuke turned to the female, visibly annoyed. "What do you want, four-eyes?"

"I happened to come across a rumor about you guys planning to skip class to go skateboarding."

"...So?" Naruto replied smirking. Kiba sighed.

"I thought we had a deal, Karin."

"Who said anything about me ratting you out?" The redhead said smirking deviously. The guys stared at her not understanding. She winked. "Got room for one more?"

"...Is it just me, or are you _totally_ not suited for the job of class president?" Naruto said smirking. Suigetsu, Sasuke and Kiba snickered.

"Now you're talking, darling," Suigetsu said slinging his arm around the petite female's shoulders. She planted her elbow in his gut, earning a loud and mocking laugh from the rest of the guys. The white-haired skater scrambled up from the floor and grabbed his deck smirking.

"Last one out pays the food tonight."

What followed was a free-for-all race throughout the school, resulting in two shellshocked teachers, five broken trash cans, one hallway covered in trash from said cans, several dozens of traumatized middle-schoolers and one very, very, _very _pissed off principal.

Ah, the life of a skater.

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><p>Kiba was genuinely surprised.<p>

He watched the red-head bust a switchflip transfer over a small fun box, landing it clean into the opposite ramp. Riding up the quarterpipe, she had her trucks kiss the coping before dropping back in, fakie stance, popping a fakie flip 50 on the low rail.

Karin turned out to be a very skilled skater, though he didn't entirely dig her style. She was too... focussed, too perfect. He noticed Suigetsu following and analyzing her movements as well. The oaf sat down next to him without looking at him. It was Kiba who spoke up first. "She's got some moves."

"Aye," the other man replied. "Not diggin' her style though. Pops her ollies too high. Forces her flips too much. You can see she's trying hard."

"We're thinking the same thing, dude."

"Eh, to each their own," Shikamaru said, breaking into their conversation. "A lotta folks would describe your style as bored and lousy."

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto had engaged in a game of S.K.A.T.E., their drive to beat the other getting the best of them once again. Kiba and Suigetsu got up to join in, with Karin following suit. Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome... Dudes, I recall something about shooting footage at 'Danger Line', what the eff happened to that?"

"...Four-eyes joined up," Kiba stated deadpan, beckoning at Karin. "I personally don't think she can handle 'Danger Line'. Besides, even if she can, we can't have her stealing all our moves, can we?"

"Face it, Inuzuka, you're just afraid to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter by a girl, the class president no less," Karin bit back playfully.

Suigetsu whistled. "That one's gonna sting for a while." Karin smiled sweetly.

The boys decided to go with the initial plan and get some footage at 'Danger Line', another one of Gunslinger's dominated spots. Naruto went to grab his deck, Sasuke's jacket, Shikamaru's backpack, Karin's messenger bag and Kiba's hat and tossed the items to their respective owners. The group then simultaneously dropped their decks on the concrete and took off, cruising through town and occasionally pulling off a random trick, until Naruto skidded to a halt at one of the most (in)famous spots their hometown knew.

'Danger Line', originally called Vertigo Inc., was a prestigious business complex which just so happened to be a skateboarder's paradise. Thus, to keep the "skater punks" away from tearing up the place and blowing lucrative business deals, security was extremely tight. Which did not, however, deter the Rebellion crew one iota. Kiba looked up to their red-headed companion, and smirked deviously. He saw the battle going on inside her; her conscience versus her adrenaline junkie. The angel versus the demon. His smirk grew broader. "How are you holding up, miss Class President?" He teased. "Breakin' the law is on a whole 'nother scale than skipping class, right?"

"...You're not really going through with this," the female stated as she pushed her glasses up her nose. She turned from Kiba - "...Right?" to Suigetsu. "_Right_?"

Both males smirked the same evil smirk. She sighed, which Kiba and Suigetsu interpreted as a sign of capitulation. They bumped fists as Shikamaru set up the cam.

"Alright, you have to nail this one in one try. There's no second chances, it's hit the spot and haul ass. Got that?"

"Hell yes I do. Naruto, hit the speakers."

The blonde did as he was told and 'Armageddon' by the Alkaline Trio suddenly filled the peaceful business square as Kiba pushed off. The rush of adrenaline tripled when he entered the restricted plaza. He knew security would be on his ass any moment now, so he had to do this fast. He heelied a set of stairs, popped a high 180 over a gap and switched into fakie stance.

Kiba faintly heard Karin gasp as a security guard ran up to his location, but missed his target and landed his tackle in the bushes. Kiba fakied up a flatbar and set his deck down in back board stance, the wood grinding over the metal until the metal ended. He reverted back to normal stance in mid-air, landing the rail clean. However, there wasn't much time to feel victorious, as the brown-haired law-breaker was already preparing for the grand finale.

He pushed twice to create some more momentum, rode up the piece of art that held a stunning resemblance with a quarterpipe for some reason, kickturned and rushed back towards the gang and Shikamaru's camera.

Time nearly froze.

Karin gasped again.

Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Suigetsu smirked.

And Kiba busted a tre flip over the huge gap. The gap to freedom, as Vertigo property ended around the middle of the gap. Kiba could feel the kick of the ride nearly burst through his veins. His whole body pulsed with adrenaline.

He nailed it.

He skidded to a halt at the other side of the road, breathing heavily. Naruto and Suigetsu went wild.

"That was _insane_, dude! Killer!"

"Holy _fuck_, man!"

Kiba turned to Karin, equally astounded as she was speechless. He smirked. "And _that_ is why this place is called 'Danger Line'," he panted. "Ready to give it a shot?"

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><p>[Author's Note]<p>

A very shitty attempt at a cliffhanger, I know. Bear with me. Enjoy.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	4. Act IV: Suicide and Redemption

Born to Raise Hell

_Act IV: Suicide and Redemption_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

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><p>Suigetsu sat down on a bench next to Karin, after getting rid of all the trash lying around the entire park. They sighed simultaneously and spent a few moments looking at two squirrels fighting over a chestnut. Eventually, one chased the other away and made off with his prize. Suigetsu smirked.<p>

"I was totally rooting for that one."

"You're dumb, oaf," Karin sneered. He glared at her, but decided to let it slide and sat back down. He sighed and put his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. She studied him and his absent stare, and poked him. "What's on your mind?"

"Ya know, lookin' back on it..." He started. She nodded for him to continue. "That whole 'Danger Line' thing probably wasn't the smartest thing to do."

_-Flashback-_

_Kiba busted a tre flip over the huge gap. The gap to freedom, as Vertigo property ended around the middle of the gap. Kiba could feel the kick of the ride nearly burst through his veins. His whole body pulsed with adrenaline._

_He nailed it. _

_He skidded to a halt at the other side of the road, breathing heavily. Naruto and Suigetsu went wild. _

_"That was insane, dude! Killer!"_

_"Holy fuck, man!"_

_Kiba turned to Karin, equally astounded as she was speechless. He smirked. "And that is why this place is called 'Danger Line'," he panted. "Ready to give it a shot?"_

_Karin stared at the male, completely flabbergasted. This guy... He barely escaped a criminal record and he was _joking_ about it?_

_"..." _

_Kiba bumped Naruto's, Suigetsu's and Sasuke's fists, and went to check out the footage with Shikamaru. Karin looked from the boys, to 'Danger Line', and back to the boys. _

_She was _not_ gonna let him have this one._

_When the guys noticed her running across the street and straight to Vertigo, Shikamaru cursed. Kiba looked up, genuinely concerned._

_"What the fuck is she doing? The place is crawling with security!" _

_"Karin!" Suigetsu yelled, not thinking and running after her. Naruto wanted to follow him, but was stopped by Sasuke and Kiba. _

_"You'll get busted, you idiot," Sasuke replied to the blonde's unvoiced question what the hell he was doing. Naruto glared at Kiba._

_"Somehow, this is your fault."_

_"Whatever, dude. Let's haul ass before more sec shows up."_

_Suigetsu chased Karin and watched her drop her board on the floor to set a flip over the gap Kiba 180'd. Security was already too tight though, and she was busted before she could even prepare for the trick. _

_As he watched in horror how his classmate and friend got nicked, he felt an immense pull at his right arm. He lost his balance and the next thing he knew, he was looking up into a very triumphantly smirking guard._

_"Thought we could have a second go, did we?"_

_Suigetsu gulped and whispered "...Oh, fuck."_

_-End Flashback-_

"Agreed," she said sighing before climbing up the bench and taking a dramatic pose. "Alas, Kiba, o dreaded cunning fox! Why did thy challenge me, Karin, to a task impossible? May the Gods bestow nothing but horrible fortune upon thee!"

Suigetsu snickered before standing up and kneeling in front of her. "Alas, my dearest Karin, thou art anything but alone in thy woe! Lest me, Suigetsu, share thy inhumane fate; let us bear this burden together throughout the gates of time!"

She giggled, knelt down on the bench and cupped his face. "O Suigetsu, how noble thou art willing to sacrifice thy own liberty! Though this tale knows but one sinner, thou willingly gave up thy life of freedom in an attempt to lift the punishment from shoulders unworthy of such compassion!"

He placed his hand on hers, and gently lifted it from his face to place a kiss on it. "Ah, but Karin, the graces of Heaven know that thou art not the one at fault; for the lowly dogs that led us down the path of sin are still at large in this world unjust! May the divine thunder of Justice strike down Kiba, Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru, and cleanse thy name of disgrace!"

She pulled him up laughing out loud, which he joined into soon after. They sat down on the bench again, sighing simultaneously again. She laid down, resting her head in his lap and looking him straight into his surprised eyes. She smiled.

"I didn't know you spoke Shakespeareian."

"You don't know half the stuff I can do," he replied smirking. "Let's do that conversation over in normal English."

She giggled and sat back up, only to snuggle into his arm. He eyed her suspiciously as she made herself comfortable, soon easing out himself. She yawned.

"That backstabbing son of a motherfucker, Kiba." Her red eyes formed a glare. "The bastard set me up, and my name is not Karin if I'm gonna let this slide."

"Hey, at least we're doing community service together," Suigetsu mumbled shrugging. "I could've just hauled ass along with the rest of the guys when you set foot on Vertigo property."

"Instead, you came after me." Karin looked up to him and smiled. "Even after I'd been such a bitch to you. I appreciate that."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd let you go in alone. But the guys are going to remember this, I'll make sure of it."

"..."

"..."

The two teenagers looked at each other for a few moments, until Karin turned away. Suigetsu smirked, but didn't say anything. She was blushing, and the opportunity of blackmail was just too good to pass up.

After a minute or two of silence, he nudged her to get up, as he did himself. "The shit in this park ain't gonna clean itself. We've got work to do."

"Aye..." she mumbled, hesistantly picking up the dreaded trash tool and plastic bag again.

"...That be me line, lassie," Suigetsu replied in a raspy pirate voice, smirking. "That be reser'ed fer truly fine buccaneers, like meself fer example."

"Whatever you want," she snorted, amused. He 'arrr'-ed and went back to work.

About two hours of small talk, cleaning trash and complaining about sore feet on Karin's account (that's what you get for wearing flip-flops), the duo was picked up by one of those signature miniature pickup trucks. Tossing their equipment in the back, the skaters gratefully hopped into the terrible, but warm car and were driven to the compound.

Dressed in his light grey skinny jeans, bright yellow SpongeBob Squarepants shirt, black jacket and Adio Symbol shoes, he casually leaned against the wall waiting for her. His iPod earbuds were buried deep into his ears, playing his favorite band: Escape the Fate. He strapped his fingerless fabric gloves a little tighter around his hands and was about to wonder why she was taking so long when he was punched in the shoulder by a small female fist belonging to Karin. "Let's not waste a second longer than needed in this hellhole."

"Aye."

The two walked home side by side, without a word spoken. Suigetsu listened to his iPod, Karin watched the setting sun. He occasionally stole a glance at her eyes, though hidden behind the sunlight reflecting in her glasses. She noticed this and smirked slyly.

"Are you checking me out, Hozuki?"

He flinched, though barely recognizable, and smirked as he pulled himself back together in no time. "Maybe... What if I am?"

"Then I appreciate the thought," she said flipping her hair overly girly and swaying her hips a bit more when walking. "But you could've just said so."

"Said what?"

"That you wanted to fuck me into tomorrow."

"...Seriously? You need help."

"Come on, Suigetsu," she replied darkly. "I see the way men look at me, even your friends. All guys are the same." She refused to talk about the topic any more. His intuition went into full alert mode. He was walking on thin ice on the subject of relationships, and he had just made up his mind to find out why.

* * *

><p>[Author's Note]<p>

Decided it was time for an update. Excuse my lame attempt at ancient English. I need some more practice on that. As always, leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	5. Act V: High Voltage

Born to Raise Hell

_Act V: High Voltage_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

* * *

><p>Three weeks had passed, Suigetsu and Karin had done their part to repay society for the trouble they had caused and were once again free to ride (seeing as how the community service dudes confiscated their decks for the time being). Sure enough, the two were hell bent on revenge, and achieved it when they tricked the others into two weeks of detention. After settling business with the rest of the Rebellion crew in a way they both found satisfactory, they went off to finish the demo they were working on.<p>

It was a special day at the local skate park today. The Sons of Dawn crew, a gang of locals who had made it professionals along the way, were tearing up the place. The Rebellion crew were cruisin' to the demo site, dodging pedestrians and other obstacles and gapping over the occasional stair or ledge.

They could hear the music from a distance.

"Ain't that Marilyn Manson?" Kiba asked, perking up his head to try and listen more closely. Sasuke nodded, unable to hide a small smirk.

"Fishman's doin' his thing."

"Change that to Sharkman and you're correct," Shikamaru replied dully. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Whatever the fuck he calls himself. I still know him as Kisame Hoshigaki."

Soon, the gang arrived and were just in time to see the aforementioned Kisame Hoshigaki finish his demo by busting his trademark boned-out nollie off 'Gunslinger', landing it clean in synch with the leader of the pack, Nagato (AKA Pain, a nickname he gained from the many bone-breaking bails he sustained without ever ending up at a hospital), heelflip-noseblunting the higest ledge in the park. The former skidded to a stop and flexed his muscles (easily visible with the navy blue cutoff shirt he was wearing) in response to the crowd's yells and cheers.

Nagato, however, demanded the most attention. The music switched from The Beautiful People to Laid to Rest by Lamb of God, and the red-brown-haired skater tossed off his long leather coat before furthering his set. Crowd control would be next to impossible with this level of excitement, Sasuke thought, but then again, with such a display of pure skill and brilliant insight, it was to be expected. A minute after Nagato had started his set, his girlfriend/fellow crew member Konan joined him in his session. The couple tag-teamed a couple of rails around the park, hit a gap over the music system and concluded with Nagato hand-planting the quarter pipe and Konan airing over him.

"Picture moment, people!" the announcer shouted over the music, even though the crowd had already beaten him to it.

The next to give the crowd a taste of his skills was ladies' man Deidara, AKA Blondie. Dressed in his trademark three-piece suit, the youngster dropped into the pool and aired a hip over a skater that happened to be in the way. With a smirk, he stalled his deck on the coping on the opposite side, rode back into the pool in fakie stance and airing a huge crossbone transfer into the quarterpipe Nagato just hand-planted. Landing it with the same smirk, Deidara casually nollie-heeled a gap before kickturning up a slope and riding back down.

The blonde made speed, popped his deck high in the air, flipped it and landed it a noseblunt. The crowd exploded. Rebellion watched the young adults do their thing, and admired every milisecond of the display of pure skill and control.

"These guys really are something else, dude," Suigetsu said, respect oozing out of his tone. Naruto simply nodded, staring at his fellow blonde.

"And here I thought _we_ were good," Kiba added chuckling. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Deidara finished his set, and the music stopped. People were frantically looking around if there was anyone of any importance still tearing up the grid. Just when people were about to get up and leave, a tune started fading in. It was a guitar lick.

The music grew louder and louder and louder, and louder until it was at full power. Sasuke smirked.

He knew this part. He just _knew_.

More and more people recognized the tune coming from the sound system, and started cheering and chanting a name: 'Hellrider'.

Hellrider meanwhile had climbed the highest ramp to be found in this park and was getting ready for his set. His eyes were closed, his face was at peace. His body was relaxed. His deck was solid. His wheels were aching for speed.

Sasuke's smirk remained. "Saved the best for last, eh..."

Once the heavy guitar riff kicked in, Hellrider raised his arms and was met by the loudest welcome the crowd had given today. The drums followed the guitar, Hellrider took a running start and synched his first contact with the grid perfectly with the start of the main riff.

"Ladies and gents, We give you Itachi Uchiha!"

Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's older brother, was nicknamed Hellrider by his fellow crew members and local skaters alike, for the insane pace and speed he kept in his runs. The star player of the crew (dressed in dark patched-up denims, a black t-shirt with leather jacket and C1rca 4 Track shoes, wearing a Judas Priest belt around his waist, a golden wristwatch and several rings) was the first one of the Sons of Dawn to make it pro, and basically got the rest signed on major players in the bizz by just rolling with him.

Itachi also invented his own trick, aptly called the Hellrider, a grind in which he locked his back truck to the rail in such a way that it screeched like the Devil himself. No one knew how he did it, he just did. And it was awesome.

Meanwhile, after landing an extreme gap and airing up the quarterpipe casually frontsiding it, the older Uchiha made speed and fakie flip 50'd the longest handbar the skate park knew. After landing it so perfect it was almost frightening, he set course to the infamous Gunslinger steps set. Like Kiba eternities ago, Itachi took a running start and dropped the wheels on the grid. As if it were the simplest of ollies, he landed a tre flip clean off Gunslinger.

This trick on this spot was a legend; and Itachi had just re-lived it.

Filling his run up with all sorts of mind-busters, Itachi finished his set when the song finished and was awarded the crowd's appreciation like they just watched Judas Priest perform the song themselves. The Uchiha casually rolled up to Sasuke's gang.

"How'd ya like it, bro?"

"There's a reason people called you a damn genius, dude," Sasuke answered smirking like Naruto.

Itachi shrugged. "This ain't got nothin' to do with genius. Just practice, bailin' a couple hundred times more than ya land on four wheels, and a healthy spark of insanity. But looks like y'all got that last one covered fine."

"Ass."

"How 'bout we get off our asses and ride with the dude while we still can?" Kiba suggested. The guys looked at each other and grabbed their decks simultaneously, getting ready to drop bombs.

* * *

><p>Sometimes, Suigetsu really wondered why the hell they even bothered to still show up at school in the first place. He poked Naruto in the lower ribs, getting a painful groan from the blonde, and scribbled a note on why they even attended Science to begin with. Naruto rolled his eyes and wrote back. Suigetsu took his time decrypting the blonde's messy handwriting, and snickered when he'd figured it out.<p>

**Duh, cuz we get 2 learn how 2 make Xplosions n stuff.  
><strong>**Bail Art?**

Suigetsu wrote back that that was probably the best idea the blonde had come up with in a lifetime, resulting in said blonde punching the white-haired punk in the arm and a reprimanding look from the teacher, Anko Mitarashi.

"Guys, it's okay if you wanna touch each other so badly. Just do it outside my classroom." The rest of the class laughed. Naruto and Suigetsu didn't flush, instead, they hugged tightly as if they really were gay. Even Anko laughed at this. "Save it for at home, boys."

"You're one to talk, screwing Hatake during lunch break and all," Shikamaru said under his breath. Luckily, she didn't hear him. Sasuke and Kiba, sitting on opposite sides of the lazy genius, did however and snickered.

An hour-long experiment and a miniature explosion on Naruto's table later, the bell rang and the tossing and turning stampede of students tried to make their way out into the warm afternoon sun. Kids were chilling under trees, crossing the street to the supermarket or playing catch with various objects, ranging from actual base balls to cellphones stolen from the next nerdy kid.

The guys located the last member of the Rebellion crew, informed her on their intentions and a minute later, five boys and one girl were cruising down the street on their way to a spot called 'A Little Piece of Heaven', a set of stairs with handrails, broad ledges, funbox-ish bench constructions (supposed to be artistic or something), and a gap construction with a few feet of height difference. A sakter's paradise, hence the nickname. Again, this spot was the unofficial property of none other than Gunslinger.

Which did not, however, mean that it stopped anyone with half a game from trying to own it.

Including Sasuke.

With Shikamaru's keen insight, the gang had found a broad iron pipe which, when set up the way the cameraman intended, would serve as handrail. While Kiba, Suigetsu and Karin were setting it up under Shikamaru's supervision, Naruto tried to hear out his best friend on the line he was planning.

"C'mon, dude, how are you planning to do this shit?"

"Hn. You'll see."

"Don't be such an ass!" The blonde turned to the spot where it was gonna happen, picturing a line in his head and at the same time trying to read his best friend. He squinted and rubbed his chin before saying "Nollie crooks to manual-revert to 180 fakie heel?"

Sasuke sighed. "Alright, you win. No."

"No what?"

"No to what you suggested. Although I'd like to see you try."

"Maybe I will," Naruto retorted smirking. "Now what are you gonna do to this fucker?"

"Back Noseblunt nollieflip out to nosemanual to 180 nollie varial."

"...Dude, that's a lot of nollies."

Sasuke shrugged. "I dig nollies."

"Time to live up to your words, Uchiha," Shikamaru called out while tossing his portable cam to Naruto, who gladly caught it, getting excited over the sheer fact that he got to see people rip up this spot. "The stage is set, camera's rolling. Whenever you're ready."

"Lemme get some practice shots first, land some standard stuff."

Shikamaru sighed overly dramatically. "Troublesome bunch. Fine." He smirked. "But don't think I'll sit on my ass and watch you tear up that spot."

"In that case..." Kiba, Suigetsu, Naruto and Karin said in unison. Sasuke smirked.

"Anyone up for a game of S.K.A.T.E.? Gap only, standard rules."

* * *

><p>[Author's Note]<p>

Cliffhanger... sort of. As always, don't be rude and leave a review if you favorite, alert or even read it. Any feedback is welcome, even if you hated it. Thanks.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	6. Act VI: Countdown to Extinction

Born to Raise Hell

_Act VI: Countdown to Extinction_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

* * *

><p>Naruto really loved his lifestyle. Finding the edge, adrenaline, opening yourself up to new possibilities, and <em>no rules whatsoever<em> to hold him back. He smirked and booed at Kiba setting a nollie 180 over the gap they were playing. Kiba flipped him off. Naruto ignored him, then watched Karin, Suigetsu, Shikamaru and Sasuke copy the dog-lover's trick perfectly. And so did he.

He flew over the gap, the feeling of weightlessness pulsing through his system, felt his feet sticking to the grip tape of his deck and landed four wheels on the concrete on the opposite side of where he took off. Which led to Kiba having to set another trick over the same gap. Shikamaru was keeping a list of the last few tricks that were done, to avoid cheating (totally unnecessary, Naruto thought, because their drive to be better than the rest was too big to even consider cheating in the first place. They all had their pride after all).

Kiba busted out a hardflip seemingly out of nowhere. Shikamaru winced, Sasuke and Suigetsu smirked hopefully, and Karin seemed concerned. Amazingly enough, the brown-haired punk made it, though barely. Naruto smirked.

"Sketchums!"

"Shut it, Dobe," Kiba retorted slightly panting while walking back (using the plank they put across the gap so they wouldn't have to run around the back all the time). "Land it first, then talk shit to me."

Karin, the next one to trick the gap, logically backed out of this one. "Hell, I'd rather have a letter than risk my neck on this shit."

"Wise decision," Suigetsu replied truthfully. He then smirked. "But I'm still gonna give it a shot."

The second the white-haired oaf took off, Sasuke turned to Shikamaru. "Might as well add a letter already. No way in hell he's ever gonna land that."

Sasuke turned out to be right, and Suigetsu bailed painfully. He slammed into the ground without any possibility to properly catch the blow, resulting in something that looked like a rag doll being tossed around. Karin yelped, Shikamaru and Kiba hissed in concern, Sasuke frowned and Naruto yelled out loud. Suigetsu got up on his own though, located his deck and limped back to the rest of the guys.

"That'll be it for now I suppose. I'm out."

"Wise decision," Karin threw his own words back in his face with a sweet girl smile. The rest laughed.

Shikamaru was next up. He resigned as well, still wanting to be able to walk back home normally after they were done considering Suigetsu's ankle had started to swell up, probably sprained.

Naruto didn't really know what to do yet. He pretty much sucked at hardflips. But then again, so did Kiba, and he managed to land it. Then _again_ then again, Suigetsu had been the first one of them who intentionally landed a hardflip, and he busted his ass on this.

Meanwhile, Sasuke had took off and landed on the other side safely, hardflipping the gap perfectly. Kiba rolled his eyes, muttering if there was anything the dude _couldn't _do. This made Naruto's decision final. Losing to Kiba he could deal with. Losing to Suigetsu too, although less easily.

But losing to _Sasuke_?

...

No way in fucking hell.

He dropped his wheels on the grid and pushed off, making speed and feeling the growing determination nearly burst through his nerves. Then the familiar feeling of slow-motion movement and numbing adrenaline kicked in, giving him seemingly all the time in the world to prepare for his trick.

The gap seemed to go on forever.

The trick seemed to take ages to complete.

His feet seemed to need eons to catch the board after it completed its twist.

His wheels seemed to take endlessly to touch the ground.

And when he finally could think or even _see _straight again, the realization dawned upon him that he'd landed his second official hardflip. _Ever_.

The guys and girl on the other side cheered. Naruto powerslided to a halt and turned to Shikamaru. "_Please_ tell me those cameras were still rolling." Said genius smirked.

"You got yourself a spot in the demo, dude."

Once back on the other side, Karin and Kiba basically jumped their blonde friend, and with the look on Suigetsu's face, he would have, too. Shikamaru slapped the blonde on his shoulder and grabbed a can of Monster Energy out of nowhere, giving it to Naruto ("Drink that shit before I reconsider").

When his friends let him go, Naruto turned to Sasuke. The raven-haired metalhead looked as stoic and unimpressed as ever. Naruto's smile disappeared.

Only to reappear on Sasuke's face. "Hn. Congrats, Dobe. You managed to get even with me. That looked sick as hell," he said while bro-hugging his best friend. Naruto smiled brighter than he had in a while. Which was saying something.

"I think this makes a draw between Kiba, Sasuke and Naruto," Shikamaru announced. "Now, since we're all warm and pumped right now, how about you lads and lassies get tech on that rail-gap combo? We ain't got all day."

* * *

><p>In the end, back noseblunt nollieflip out to nosemanual to nollie 180 varial was a bridge too far, even for Sasuke. What they did get was Shikamaru going old school with a darkslide, Naruto's hardflip over the gap, Karin busting an extremely high double heel over that same gap, Sasuke's equally stylish nollie 360shuv crooks, and Kiba's back 50 to manual-revert to fakieflip. Shikamaru was content.<p>

The only one who was grumpy was Suigetsu, for obvious reasons.

The gang was on the bus, since their white-haired friend's ankle injury was too painful to walk, let alone ride home. Since they didn't really feel like taking three hours on a fifteen-minute skateboard ride, they insisted on the last resort option: facing the hell of public transport.

Kids were screaming, their parents were screaming back, old guys sent dirty smirks in the direction of young schoolgirls, and weird people in general did their act of weirdness. It was a sight to behold, but Suigetsu didn't seem to care much.

The ankle of said fellow skater wasn't as much swollen as before, it just turned a very ugly shade of blue now. Which could be worse than they had initially thought. Suigetsu was a tough bastard though, and in that line the last one to be heard whining about a sore ankle. Still, Shikamaru (and the rest alike) advised to have it examined by a pro. Or, as Karin voiced it, 'any other dude who knows what he's talking about'.

And thus here they were, riding a bus to the nearest first aid post.

Suigetsu cursed out of boredom and frustration.

"Why does shit like this always have to happen to me?"

Sasuke snorted. "Want me to answer that truthfully, or be nice to you and just say that everyone has their unlucky days?"

Suigetsu glared at him. "What would you have said when you're honest to me?"

"That you're too fucking dumb to notice a risk too high if it were dancing in front of you with a bright red nose wearing a goddamn tutu."

Naruto and Kiba snickered. Shikamaru wisely kept his composure. Karin was too busy worrying about her classmate, fellow skater and close friend.

Come to think of it.

Funny how just getting swept off the streets by law enforcement creates a bond between two completely different people. From the first day of this school year, she and him were - well, 'enemies' wouldn't be the right word. But they certainly had an obvious disliking for each other. And weren't afraid to let each other know, either.

As the year progressed, she had to conclude that he was okay. Sure, he was lazy, rude, annoying, loud and flat-out insane for the most part, but deep inside he had a heart of gold. He could really be a sweetheart to anyone who would put enough effort into piercing his tough guy armor.

In her case, she probably completely shattered it.

Just as how he shattered hers.

He didn't really know if he was supposed to be happy or sad to have Karin as class president when her appointment was announced. After all: even though she was a skater herself, she really held a tight reign over the class on terms of obeying the rules ('da r00lz'). So logically, as his rebellious attitude commanded him, he'd made it his mission to break every single one of those rules. He knew it was pathetic, but being an ass to the rest just made him feel good.

One day he woke up to go skating with his friends and realized he was counting her as one of his friends as well. And he didn't even care.

Because anyone who knew Karin beyond the bitchy-ass class president role, she was a really compassionate and kind person. A great sense of humor as well, that fit in pretty good with the rest of the guys. Besides, she really had some moves. 'Cause not everyone would bust out a double heelflip over a gap they tore up today.

And, really, she wasn't hard on the eyes in the least. As much as he hated to admit it.

The bus stopped, and the pre-recorded voice announced Senju Hospital as their current stop. Shikamaru and Karin helped a crippled and extremely grumpy Suigetsu out of the bus, while Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba took Shikamaru's gear, Suigetsu's board and Karin's bag, respectively.

Shikamaru and Karin dragged Suigetsu to the first aid wing, setting him down on the first chair in sight. Sasuke tossed his stuff down next to him and went to get coffee for the entire crew on Karin's unspoken order. Naruto found another chair to support Suigetsu's ankle. Shikamaru went to call a medic. Kiba sat down next to his white-haired friend and folded his arms behind his head.

"We'll get ya fixed up just fine, dude."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes."I didn't hit my head. I can still think clearly."

"You could _think_?" Sasuke sneered sarcastically, while handing out paper cups of crappy coffee. "That's certainly an improvement."

Suigetsu glared at the Uchiha, but smirked as well. "Very funny, asshole," he sneered back sarcastically, in a way that only Suigetsu could sneer without sounding offensive.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru returned with the medic, a dark-haired and -eyed woman in her late twenties. She was wearing the stereotypical white coat, albeit it being open so you could see her daily clothes underneath it. She looked sweet, friendly and calm, like she was your big sister. She smiled sweetly at the group.

"Good evening. Your friend already told me everything. I'm Shizune."

"Suigetsu," he grumbled as he leaned on Naruto to get up. "I busted my ankle skateboarding, and it sucks."

"Or so I've heard," she replied chuckling. "If you'll follow me, I'll have a look at it."

Suigetsu complied, and limped after Shizune while leaning on Naruto, the latter loudly blabbering on about something or another. Sasuke shook his head, Kiba smirked and Shikamaru muttered something that sounded like 'poor Shizune'. Karin just sighed and slumped down into the nearest chair. Kiba noticed her concern and walked over to her.

"Don't worry."

She looked up at him, not entirely present in the real world. "Wha?"

"Don't worry about the oaf. He's gonna be fine."

She looked down. "How do you know? His ankle may be broken or something. Or even worse, tore off a muscle."

Kiba shrugged. "Nah. Sasuke over there broke his ankle once. Pretty funny story by the way," he added to great dismay of Sasuke. "Anyways, the only thing I remember him saying is that it didn't even hurt that much. Judging from Suigetsu's gray face and overall body language, that ankle of his is putting him through torture. So we can state with safety that his ankle isn't broken."

"...Meaning?"

Kiba was silent for a second before replying, closing his eyes as if he were a wise man, and sighed. "Meaning: worst case scenario, his ankle is badly sprained and he's out of the run for about three weeks. Which would suck, but it'll eventually heal."

Karin sighed, and forced a tired smile. "Thanks, Kiba. Thanks, guys."

Sasuke smirked and snorted. "For what?"

Karin smiled again - genuine this time. "For being awesome."

* * *

><p>[Author's Note]<p>

I'm rapidly losing the joy in writing again, because I feel like I'm wasting my time. Prove me wrong. Leave a review. Thanks.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	7. Act VII: New Frontier

Born to Raise Hell

_Act VII: New Frontier _

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

* * *

><p>Kiba turned out to be right, and Suigetsu's ankle was indeed badly sprained. He was condemned (officially called 'advised') to stop skating for an entire month, and take two weeks of slow practice to revalidate. Which, of course, was not something he was too looking forward to. So he just decided to take matters into his own hands, and still hung out with the crew doing camerawork and spot-spotting. Besides, it wouldn't be Rebellion crew if the one whom they derived the name from wouldn't be there with them.<p>

Then again, it's not like Suigetsu was a guy to do as a fucking doctor (even though this was an exceptionally hot one, Suigetsu said) told him to. His ankle refused to even support a small amount of weight without hurting like a bitch for the first week, but after that week he slowly started basic skateboarding stuff like riding and balancing again (his excuse: 'to not completely lose the feeling'). With baby steps, he sped up his healing process just a tiny bit.

And here he was, in the cool morning breeze, on top of a high ramp, about to pull off his first trick since his injury. After only three and a half weeks.

He dropped into the quarterpipe, made speed, popped, flipped his deck, caught it and set it down on the ledge in basic 50-50 stance. He rode it out and dropped into the bank of the funbox, under loud cheering of his friends. He smirked like an idiot. Naruto nearly glomped him. Sasuke slapped him on his shoulder. Kiba ruffled his hair. Shikamaru bumped his fist. Karin kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

He was _back_.

"Welcome back to the grid, dude," Naruto said smirking while tossing cans of Suigetsu's favorite Monster Energy to everyone.

"How does it feel to be alive again?" Sasuke added equally smirking and opening his can.

"Amazing, my friends." The white-haired drummer raised his can and smirked as well. "Fucking amazing."

The rest raised their cans as well, 'oorah'd and laughed. Shikamaru was the first one to point out that Suigetsu had a shitload of work to catch up to, referring to the demo tape that was reaching its final state.

"Well then. This day is way too good to pass up the oppurtunities," was what the lazy genius said sighing. "It's time to go kick ass and chew bubble gum. And guess what."

"We're all outta gum," the rest finished the infamous Duke Nukem quote in unison. Shikamaru smirked.

"I raised you guys properly."

"Shall we?" Suigetsu said impatiently, setting his deck on the coping of the pool, as if to make a statement. Shikamaru sighed, snickered and tossed his portable cam to Naruto once he finished setting up his other two cameras and assigning one of them to Kiba.

Suigetsu sessioned the pool for a bit, throwing out a few pretty awesome tricks (even Sasuke lost his composure at witnessing the oaf pulling off a 180 board varial). He finished his session with a honest-to-goodness frontside nosebone, like in the old days.

The guys (and girl) were speechless.

"...Dude, I didn't know you had a pool fool camping inside you," Naruto said amazed. Suigetsu just shrugged.

"I wouldn't be using such a diminishing term as 'pool fool' after being schooled on some real skateboarding," a new voice sneered while the sound of happy punk filled the morning atmosphere. Everyone turned around to face the female owner of the voice.

"Morning, fellas. Good day to skate, ain't it."

A girl, probably no older than sixteen, happily waved at them before casually dropping into the pool Suigetsu just dominated. She was getting a little warm-up practice, while another girl carrying a boombox that played the music set foot on the grid. She was older, the guys thought; she looked like she was a force to be reckoned with. Her sandy blonde ponytails were slightly moved by the wind.

"Tenten! Don't be such a rude bitch!" She yelled at the bun-haired girl in the pool while putting down the old music installation. She smiled at the crew. "Sorry about Tenten. She's not exactly known for her good behaviour. My name is Temari; you probably know my younger brother, Gaara."

Kiba was the first to speak up.

"Ah, yes, I think he mentioned his sister sometime."

The girl named Temari smiled. "Well, that would be me."

"You're not from our school, right?" Suigetsu asked, an uncertain look on his face. She shook her head. "Then how do you know we know your brother?"

She shrugged. "Everyone knows who Sasuke Uchiha is," she said nodding to the raven-haired skater. Another girl cut in.

"That, and the hottie with the mafia hat just confirmed it." She smiled at Kiba. "Morning, guys. I'm Sakura Haruno."

"You're such a whore, Sakky!" The girl with the buns apparently named Tenten yelled from inside the pool. She kickturned on the highest part and rode up, stepping off her board and catching it mid-air while stepping down on the flat ground. "Can't you at least stop flirting with, oh, _everyone _for two seconds?"

"You're just jealous that _I_ get to flirt and _you're_ stuck with Neji," the pinkette retorted sticking her tongue out at Tenten, who in turn bopped her friend on the head. Karin snickered.

"Such familiar scenes."

Temari facepalmed. "Tell me about it."

Karin smiled and offered her hand to the apparent leader of the pack. "Karin. Nice to meet you."

Temari took her hand while Karin glared at the Rebellion crew, as if to say 'don't be rude, introduce yourselves'.

"Hn. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Shikamaru."

"Suigetsu Hozuki."

"Kiba Inuzuka."

Temari gasped at hearing Kiba's last name. "Inuzuka?"

He blinked, slightly taken aback. "What about it?"

"Your sister Hana lives just down the street from us."

"I _knew_ the world was just one big conspiracy theory," Suigetsu exclaimed. Temari giggled.

"Anyways, we're not complete. You know Sakura and Tenten," she said while shooting a meaningful look in the general direction of said girls, "but Hinata's taking care of our poor sickly Ino."

"Ino Yamanaka?" Suigetsu said unbelievingly. Temari nodded a bit hesistantly. Suigetsu laughed. "Who knew Inuzuka turned out to have good taste in women after all." Kiba punched him in the head, to witch Temari quirked an eyebrow.

"Ino's in our class," Shikamaru explained sighing at his friend's exaggerated response. "She never seemed much of a skater type, though. That didn't stop Kiba from drooling over her, which is sorta considered blasphemy among these guys."

"I... see." Temari snorted. "It's true that Ino doesn't look like much of a skater, and more of a... How do you say?"

"A slut," Sakura filled in the gap before taking off again to set some more gap tricks.

"Thank you, Sakura," Temari said sweatdropping. She glared at her friend grinning overly happily, before turning back to the boys. "Well then. Ino's dream since forever was becoming captain of the cheerleading squad. She just happens to like skateboarding, as well. And she's good." She shrugged. "That's all that really matters, ain't it?"

"Amen," Kiba said stretching, not too happy with all the talking and no rolling. He decided to join Sakura in setting gap tricks, and dropped in the big quarterpipe. He made speed, popped his deck high and varial-flipped into the bank on the other side. His trademark style made it look stylishly sloppy, and Sakura (witnessing the scene) whistled.

"Looks like the hottie's got some moves," she teased, but was appropriately put in her place when Kiba nollieflipped the 'Gunslinger' stair. She gaped at him. "How good are you, really?"

He smirked. "Oh, you're about to find out, darling."

She grinned deviously. "I _could_ charge you for sexual intimidation right now, ya know."

"Oh, how so?" Kiba asked playfully. "I was referring to the display of my skateboarding skills I was about to give you." He powerslided to a halt next to her, kicking his deck up and catching it casually. He smirked. "To think you have the guts to accuse us of having dirty minds."

She stared at him for a second, taken aback by his bold statement, and then decided to punch him in the shoulder, slightly blushing. He just snickered and hopped on his board again, kickflip-backlipping a conveniently (duh) placed handrail.

Kiba rode towards Naruto, and brushed the blonde's shoulder with a bit too much force. Said blonde shot a glare in his direction. Kiba flipped him off and nollie-nosemanualled a low ledge before sitting down next to their own music installation and other provisions. He popped Sasuke's iPod into the dock, hit Shuffle and outblasted the girls' happy punk with their own hard-style punk. Naruto looked at him not-understandingly.

"Why'd you nearly run into me if you just went to put on some music?"

"Because you're standing around for nothing, while there's skating to be done."

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><p>[Author's Note]<p>

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not dead. Neither is this story. Just on the brink of it. Reason: it's no fun to write anymore. I forgot where I wanted to take it, and frankly, I'm just... I dunno, confused about a lot of personal stuff lately. Hope that suffices for going AWOL at random times.

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


	8. Act VIII: Highway to Hell

Born to Raise Hell

_Act VIII: Highway to Hell_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters, songs or other pop culture references that are mentioned in this or future chapter(s).

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><p>In the end, the girls they had met today really were a pretty cool bunch to ride with, Sasuke concluded. Although of course, he had pretty much kept his mouth shut the entire time. He bested Kiba on 'Gunslinger' with a fakie 180 heel, though, which earned him some credit with Sakura and Temari. He kept his stoic composure while exchanging numbers and agreeing on setting up more skating sessions, and frankly, he was actually looking forward to it.<p>

Suigetsu already started blabbering about fusing Rebellion with their group pretty soon after they left, much to ringleader Shikamaru's annoyance. Having Karin join in on all the fun was hard enough for him and his precious skateboarding group to deal with.

On their way home from a nice long day of intense boarding, they ran into a group of hiphop skaters again; they could hear the crap-ass music from a distance, and soon after, the disgusting sight of low baggy pants and oversized shirts came into view.

As fate would have it, Kiba was wearing his favorite Rise Against shirt that day, and Sasuke's leather jacket, Slayer shirt and studs alone were enough to make them glare at the Rebellion crew in disgust. One had the guts to speak up.

"What'cho fools doin' out here? This be our turf, man."

"Come again?" Kiba mocked. "Did any of you hear what the monkey said?"

"Maybe if you'll throw a banana off in the distance, he'll chase it," Sasuke added with a furious, though collected sneer.

One of the hiphoppers was so stupid as to charge at the raven-haired metalhead in blind rage, confirming his and his friends' beliefs that their intellect wasn't far from a small child's at best. Sasuke side-stepped him effortlessly, and seeing as he was conveniently positioned in front of a garbage can, he sent the opposing gang member flying face-first into it. The guys laughed cruelly.

Without any further ado, the crew left a flabbergasted bunch of idiots in their wake as they made their way to Sasuke's place to hang out. Sasuke's parents were rarely there, always off on some sort of business trip (and obviously cheating on each other as much as possible), and Itachi moved to Los Angeles about a year ago. The crew had opted to set up a miniature skate park inside the vast garage, but Sasuke had disagreed. His parents might literally kill him when they found out.

One may think that both Uchiha brothers turning to skateboarding instead of school, good grades and 'a proper future' has had a terrible influence on the Uchiha household in general. Sasuke had simply given up caring. His parents didn't, so why should he? As long as he had a place to crash, Monster, food and TV, there was no point in complaining. Of course, he felt bad for his mom and dad. But then again, what did you expect when you try to raise two young men as narrow-minded as they did?

Naruto took the liberty of grabbing drinks for the entire crew, while Shikamaru hooked up his laptop and camera to the five foot diameter TV. He immediately started editing today's footage, under strict supervision of Kiba, Suigetsu and Karin. Sasuke dropped his body on the couch and watched in silence, only voicing his opinion when asked.

Speaking of footage.

Their demo really neared completion at this point, Sasuke noticed. It may seem like a minor achievement, but he felt as if the demo paved the road to a sponsorship deal for all of them. Even if it would just be the local skate store giving them a bunch of free t-shirts and a discount on their new gear.

Shikamaru kept fiddling with the video editor over a tiny flaw in one cut or another, that kept the entire demo off-beat. The beat in this case referring to Green Day's 'Know Your Enemy' and 'Entertainment' by Rise Against, both songs highly appreciated by the entire crew. When the master of technology and video editing was finally satisfied with his work, he pressed the 'full screen' button followed by 'play' with an accomplished smirk.

What followed was eight months' worth of footage cut and edited into six minutes of pure skateboarding magic. Every spot that was important to the local scene had made it into their demo, and everything just looked slick. Naruto's wide variety of flip tricks , Kiba's famous nollie 180s, Sasuke's manual skills, Karin's flip-grind combos, Suigetsu's high airs and big gaps, and Shikamaru's old-school grinds and freestyling - there was virtually nothing that they didn't shoot. Everything was neatly edited to the beat, as well, and even Naruto's cheesy interlude in between songs looked badass.

"Gentlemen -" Kiba started after the end credits, but he was immediately interrupted by Karin who punched him in the gut. He shot her a glare and continued: "lady and gents, I hereby declare this the most epic badass demo of all epic badass demos."

"Hell yeah!" Suigetsu and Naruto yelled in unison.

Sasuke hadn't stopped smirking since the first second of the video, and had no intention to stop now. "This will convince people that we can get our own futures on the road without having to rely on my brother's name." He remembered how cheap he had felt when Itachi offered to put in a good word for his little brother with his sponsors. If there was one thing he had to do himself, it was this. "Get a hundred or so copies of these and -"

"Hey, Uchiha, since when do you call the shots around here?" Suigetsu interrupted in a very amused tone.

Sasuke shrugged. "Well, we're in my house, if that accounts for anything," he replied deadpan. Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru snickered.

"Seriously though," Shikamaru continued. "I think it's best to get a few copies to Burnside, SKATEit, Shockwave, The Crew Deck and Sticky's first." The one-second pause was enough to expect his following comment as he looked everyone in the eye, one at a time. "The thing is that I'm expecting a new fish-eye lens that I ordered last week to be delivered, and I can't miss it again. So who volunteers?"

"Sorry, I'm unavailable as well," Karin said. "Class president stuff. Meeting with the principal and all that." She made a gagging sound, earning a few laughs from Kiba and Suigetsu while Shikamaru turned to the latter.

"Nope," Suigetsu answered his unspoken question. "Band practice. Can't miss."

"My folks will kill me if I don't show up at Hatake's detention tomorrow," Naruto said a little too quickly. "They threatened to lock my deck in a vault and throw it into the ocean for the rest of the year."

"Sasuke?" Shikamaru tried. It was important that these demos got out tomorrow, because some local skate stores hosted a premiere night on fridays where skaters or groups could submit their footage so it could be shown to the guests.

"Impossible. My folks are coming home the day after tomorrow, and I need to get this place cleaned up if I want to show up for signing our first sponsorship deal with my arms still attached to my body."

Kiba sighed. Sometimes, his friends really were worthless. "Fine. Give me the damn tapes, I'll pass them around after school tomorrow."

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><p>[Author's Note]<p>

**It's alive!**

Signed,  
><em>VictimofYourOwnCreation<em>


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